A blog dedicated to diversity, This is Herstory in the making

Black British feminism then and now

Professor Heidi Mirza reflects upon her involvement in black feminism and the changes she has witnessed over the past 30 years. She is hopeful about new generations of activists and reminds us that “black women’s activism has been central in tackling problems within our local communities.”

‘Thank you for organising this. I thought black feminism was dead!’ wrote a young woman in an email to me.

In 2006, I had organised a national seminar ‘Black feminism and postcolonial paradigms’ it was received positively. I found myself asking the question, ‘Has black feminism as a collective movement now become obsolete?’ But, why then I wondered, are we also witnessing a new generation of women of colour coming to political voice in no uncertain terms, especially through their use of social media?

The black British feminism that I was a part of in the 1970s and 1980s, had its roots in the postcolonial activism and the struggles of women migrants…